I enjoy hands-on learning! It puts action to the concepts.
Units I created during my student teaching:
|
The practices proposed by the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) were originally believed to help students who are mathematically advanced (Deal. 2010). Research has shown, though, that these practices are helpful for all students and can easily be adapted for all academic levels (Deal. 2010). The Equity Principle stated by the NCTM says, “Excellence in mathematics education requires equity- high expectations and strong support for all students” (Deal. 2010). This statement is not intended to mean that all students are taught the same way and learn the same way, but rather that they should all have opportunity to learn the same concepts through adaptations and support (Deal. 2010). The NCTM standards were created as a means of reflecting on classroom practice and the urgency of improving mathematics teaching practices.
To meet the level of academic rigor that is desired, both teachers and students must change (Perrin. 2012). Teachers must facilitate learning rather than simply give information and students must be willing to learn for themselves and not expect the teachers to give them all the information (Perrin. 2012). While teachers generally agree with this line of thinking, it may be difficult to shift their classroom practices (Perrin. 2012). One of the major classroom practices NCTM has advocated is the use of a variety of assessments (Ohlsen. 2007). Instead of traditional quizzes and tests, they propose that teachers use performance assessments such as open-ended questions, portfolios, and performance-based tasks (Ohlsen. 2007). In the 1980’s, NCTM started trying to bring awareness to the critical situation in mathematics classrooms (Hekimeglu. 2005). Their goal was to help the educational community combine the need for mathematics along with the need to incorporate the needs surrounding the cultural diversity of American schools (Hekimeglu. 2005). NCTM advocates using standards to meet mathematical goals through clearer focus on learning, instructions, and assessment (Hekimeglu. 2005). The NCTM standards have primarily been criticized because of their push away from traditional teaching and toward cooperative and teacher guided learning (Hekimeglu. 2005). While a lot of changes have been made in the school system in regards to the way teachers teach and the way students learn, some individuals in the educational system still need to be convinced. As long as American schools have diversity amongst students, there will have to also be diversity of teaching. NCTM has paved the way for reform, calling for a change in classroom practice and emphasizing the urgent need for this change. References Deal, L. J., & Wismer, M. G. (2010). NCTM Principles and Standards for Mathematically Talented Students. Gifted Child Today, 33(3), 55-65. Hekimoglu, S., & Sloan, M. (2005). A Compendium of Views on the NCTM Standards. Mathematics Educator, 15(1), 35-43. Ohlsen, M. T. (2007). CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT PRACTICES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL MEMBERS OF NCTM. American Secondary Education, 36(1), 4-14. Perrin, J. R. (2012). Middle-School Mathematics Teachers' Beliefs in NCTM's Vision. School Science & Mathematics, 112(8), 466-475. doi:10.1111/j.1949-8594.2012.00169.x |